Entertainment

Former Empire Star Jussie Smollett Sentenced

Published

3 years ago

Mar 11, 2022.

Promise Joseph

Former Empire Star Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to jail For False report
While leaving the courtroom, he said, “I am innocent. If I was guilty, I could’ve said it a long time ago.”

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Former Empire Star Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to jail For False report.

On Thursday, March 10, the former Empire star was sentenced to 150 days in a county jail for filing a false police complaint in 2019 after telling authorities that he was the victim of a hate crime. He was also sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, as well as $120,000 in reparations and a $25,000 fine to the city.

After the sentence, Smollett spoke out in court. “I did not do this,” he said. “And I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself and you must all know that.”

While leaving the courtroom, he said, “I am innocent. If I was guilty, I could’ve said it a long time ago.”

His lawyer said they are filing a motion of appeal. The judge denied the request for a “stay” or pause.

During the sentencing, a letter from Samuel L. Jackson was read in support of Smollett. The actor’s grandmother took the stand to advocate for him, with Smollett wiping a tear after she stepped down. Black Lives Matter and the NAACP also sent letters arguing against incarceration.

Judge James Linn said Smollett’s alleged “hypocrisy is astounding,” saying the sentencing wouldn’t come close to “the damage you’ve already caused yourself.” The judge said Smollett “craved the attention” and was throwing a “national pity party for yourself.” He also said Smollett did “real damage” to victims of hate crimes and was a “charlatan” who went from “riches to rags.”

In January 2019, Smollett, 39, told Chicago police that two masked men placed a noose around his neck and poured chemicals on him while yelling homophobic and racist slurs. The actor also said the men yelled “MAGA country,” referencing their support for then-President Donald Trump.

As the investigation into the event progressed, evidence began to emerge indicating Smollett’s statements were false. Superintendent Eddie Johnson of the Chicago Police Department stated in a press conference that Smollett paid $3,500 for brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo to assist him fake the attack to further his career, an allegation that Smollett denied.

Smollett brought himself in after being accused with disorderly conduct and submitting a false police report. His case was set for trial after he pled not guilty to the accusations.

The jury heard testimony from the Osundairo siblings and Smollett himself during his week-long trial in December 2021, during which he insisted that the incident was a fake.

However, on December 9, a jury found Smollett guilty of fabricating false police reports on five of six charges of disorderly conduct.

Following the guilty verdict, lawyer Nenye Uche—who represents Smollett—told reporters that their team disagreed with the jury’s decision and planned to file an appeal on behalf of their client.

“The verdict is inconsistent. You cannot say Jussie is lying and Jussie is not lying for the same exact incident. So, we feel 100 percent confident that this case will be won on appeal,” Uche said. “We remain 100 percent confident in our client’s innocence.”

During the sentencing, his lawyer also argued for a new trial for Smollett. The judge denied the request.

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